Sliding vane type hydrodynamic machine



J. K. DOUGLAS SLIDING VANE TYPE HYDRODYNAMIC MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENToR. JAMES K. DOUGLAS ATTORNEY Aug. 28, 1951 Filed April 27, 1945 Aug. 28, 1951 J. K. DOUGLAS Filed April 27, 1945 INV ENTOR., JAMES K. DOUGLAS ATToRNEY Aug. 28, 1951 J. K. DOUGLAS 2,565,651

SLIDING VANE TYPE HYDRODYNAMIC MACHINE Filed April 27, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5s se s2 e 7 INVENTo JAMES K. DOUGL BY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1951 SLIDING VAN E TYPE HYDRODYNAMIC MACHINE Jamel K. Douglas, Shorewood, Wis., assignor to The Oilgear Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 27, 194,5, semina. 590,647

s claims. (cl. 121-82) This invention relates to hydrodynamic machines of the sliding vane type and it has as an object to provide a machine of this type which may be made in capacities far greater than was heretofore possible.

A hydrodynamic machine of the sliding vane type includes a casing having inlet and outlet ports, a cylindrical rotor arranged with the casing and provided with a plurality of vane slots which extend inward from its periphery. a vane of the same length as the rotor fitted in each of the vane slots, an annular vane track extending around the rotor to engage the louter edges of the vanes, and two cheek plates arranged at opposite ends of the rotor to close the ends of the spaces between the vane track and the periphery of the rotor.

The vane track includes at least one sealing portion which has an inner face concentric with and arranged close to the periphery of the rotor. at least one working portion which has an inner face approximately concentric with and spaced from the periphery'of the rotor, and a plurality oi' intermediate portions which have arcuate but non-circular inner faces and extend between the sealing and working portions to form therewith an endless track upon which the outer faces of the vanes ride during rotation of the rotor.

Since a rotor would be hydrostaticaliy unbalanced if its vane track had only one sealing portion and one working portion, a machine is ordinarily provided with a vane track having two sealing portions and two working portions which are spaced 90 from each other and are closely tted in the casing. The vanes in contact with the sealing portions divide the machine into two working sections which are diametrically opposed to each other so that the rotor is hydrostatically balanced radially.

The space between the vane track and the rotor at one side of each working portion communicates with an inlet port and constitutes an inlet area, and the space between the vane track and the rotor at the other side of each working portion communicates with an'outlet port and constitutes an outlet area. The Working portions and the vanes in contact therewith separate the inlet areas from the outlet areas.

When the rotor rotates, the vanes will ride upon the vane track and each vane will pass successively from an inlet area across a working portion of the track to the adjacent outlet areaand from that outlet area across the adjacent sealing portion of the track to the adjacent inlet le.

l 2 The sealing and working portions ci the track thus bridge the gaps between the inlet areas and the outlet areas and also function as bridges to carry the vanes across the spaces between the inlet and outlet areas. Therefore, the sealing and working portions of the vane track will be referred to hereinafter as "sealing bridges and working bridges respectively.

If motive liquid is supplied to the inlet ports, it will act upon the outer portions of the varies in contact with the working bridges and cause the rotor to rotate. If the rotor is rotated mechanically, the spaces between the outer portions of the vanes will be filled with liquid as the vanes pass from a sealing bridge through an inlet area to a working bridge and this liquid will be discharged into an outlet port as the vanes pass from a working bridge through an outlet area to a sealing bridge. A machine of the sliding vane type will thus function either as a motor or as a pump.

Ii' the machine functions as a pump, the rotor ordinarily rotates at such speed that the centrifugal force is suiiicient to move the vanes outward as they pass from a sealing bridge to a working bridge but, if the machine functions as a motor, it must be capable of starting under load and means must be provided for moving the vanes outward. Ordinarily, the vanes are moved outward by fluid pressure and both ends of each vane must move outward at the same rate as otherwise the vane would bind between the cheek plates.

The prior machines are made only in small capacities and each vane thereof is so short relative to its radial width that its ends have suflicient bearing areas in contact with the cheek plates to prevent one end of a vane from moving outward faster than the other end thereof. If the vanes were made considerably longer so as to increase the capacity of the machine, the radial width of the vanes could not be correspondingly increased and the bearing areas on the ends of a vane would not be suicient to prevent one end of the vane from moving outward faster than the other end thereof should the vane tend to stick at one end only of its slot.

may be utilized to effect outward movement of the opposite vane. y

Another object is to provide a vane type hydrodynamic machine with vane actuating means which will positively move a vane outward and urge it against the vane track with a predetermined force.

Another object is to provide a vane type hydrodynamic machine in which the vanes are hydrostatically balanced so that the vanes may be maintained in contact with the vane track independently of the fluid pressures prevailing within the machine.

Other objects and advantages ofthe invention will appear from the following description of the hydrodynamic machine shown somewhat conventionally in the accompanying drawings in which the views are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional plany View of a hydrodynamic machine in which the invention is embodied, the view being taken on the irregular line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 1 but with the rotor omitted.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the casing of the machine partly broken away in order that the view may be drawn to a scale large enough to clearly illustrate how the vanes are moved outward.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section showing one of the vanes on a larger scale and illustrating how the vanes are hydrostatically balanced.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the central portion of the rotor showing a different form of the means for moving the vanes outward and holding them against the vane track. The view being taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 65 of Fig. 5.

Fig. is a fragmentary section taken on the line 'I-T of Fig. 5.

The machine will function as a pump when driven mechanically, it will function as a motor when supplied with motive liquid, and when functioning as a motor its direction of rotation may be reversed by simply reversing the ow of liquid thereto but for the sake of brevity the machine will be explained as a motor and as operating in one direction only.

Figs. 1-4

The machine chosen for illustration has a cylindrical rotor I arranged within an annular vane track 2 which is tightly fitted within a casing 3 having removable end heads 4 and 5 arranged at opposite ends thereof and rigidly secured thereto as by means of suitable bolts. Rotor I is rotatably supported by two bearings 6 and I carried by end heads 4 and 5 respectively. A shaft 8 is fixed'to rotor I asby being formedv integral therewith and extends outward through end head 4 for connection to the load to be driven by the motor.

Rotor I has a plurality of radial vane slots 9 (Fig. 3) extending inward from its periphery and a vane I0 of the same length as rotor I slidably fitted in each slot. The radially outward faces of vane I 0 ride upon the inner peripheral surface of vane track 2 during rotation of rotor I.

Vane track 2 may be a unitary structure but in order to facilitate manufacture it is preferably made as shown in a plurality of short annular sections which are arranged end to end within casing 3 and rigidly secured in position therein,

The inner peripheral surface of vane track 2 is so shaped that it includes an odd number of sealing bridges II (Fig. 2) which are close to the periphery of rotor I, an equal number of working bridges I2 each of which is arranged midway between adjacent sealing bridges and spaced from the periphery of rotor I, and cam tracks or vane track sections I3 arranged between the bridges and forming therewith a continuous track upon which the radial outward faces of vanes IIJ ride during rotation of rotor I.

Bridges I I and I2 are concentric with rotor I and track sections I3 are so shaped as to cause each vane to have a gradual radial movement while passing from one bridge to another. The angular length of each bridge is approximately the same as but not less than the angular distance between adjacent vanes and the bridges are so shaped that each bridge has at least one vane in contact therewith at all times.

The machine has been shown as having only three working sections. That is, it has been shown as having only three sealing bridges and three working .bridges but a machine may have a larger number of working sections if it is large enough. For example, a machine having a rotor sixteen inches in diameter may have five working sections.

Vane track 2 has formed therein between adjacent bridges a plurality of radial openings I4 through which liquid flows to and from the spaces between the periphery of rotor I and the inner periphery of vane track 2.

Openings I4 communicate with a plurality of distributing .ports which are formed in casing-3 around vane track 2 and extend nearly the entire length thereof. As shown, a port I5 is arranged at one side of each bridge I I and all three ports I5 communicate with an arcuate passage I5 formed in casing 3 and connected to a port Il which is adapted to be connected to one side of an external circuit, and a port I8 is arranged at the other side of each bridge II and all three ports I8 communicate with an arcuate passage I9 formed in casing 3 and connected to a port 20 which is adapted to be connected to the other side of the external circuit.

Distributing ports I5 and I8 may function either as high pressure ports or as low pressure ports and the vanes in contact with the bridges divide the spaces between the periphery of rotor I and the inner periphery of vane track 2 into high pressure areas and low pressure areas which are in communication with the high pressure ports and the low pressure ports respectively. For example, if port I1 (Fig. 2) is connected to the pressure sideof a h raulic circuit, motive liquid will flow therethrough and through passage I 6, ports I5 and openings I4 into the high pressure areas and act upon the vanes in contact with the working bridges I2. The force exerted by the liquid upon those vanes will cause rotor I to rotate in a clockwise direction in respect to Fig. 3. The liquid trapped between the vanes as they cross the working bridges will be transferred into the low pressure areas and will iiow therefrom through openings I4, ports I8, passage I9 and port 2li/into the return side of the hydraulic circuit.

The outer faces of the vanes ride upon a film of liquid and any pressure prevailingv at either or both sides of a vane extends into the film and urges the vanes inward. The same pressure prevails at both sides of each vane as it passes through the high pressure and low pressure asoman areas so that the entire outer tace of the vane is subjected to high pressure as it passes through the high pressure areas and is subjected to a low or negative pressure as it passes through the low pressure areas ibut, when it passes across a bridge, it has high pressure at one of its sides and low pressure at its other side so that a portion of its outer facev is subjected to high pressure and another portion oi' its outer face is subjected to low pressure. The vanes are thus urged inward by forces of three different magnitudes which act successively upon the outer face of each vane. l

'Ihe vanes of certain prior machines are held in contact with the vane track by subjecting the inner faces of the vanes successively to three different iluid pressures of such magnitudes that at any given instant each vane is subjected to an outward force somewhat greater than the inward force exerted thereon.

Such a machine hasl a vane slot port formed in each of its cheek plates radially inward from each bridge and each pressure area at such a distance from the rotor axis that the inner end of each vane slot registers successively with the several vane slot ports as the rotor rotates. Each vane slot port arranged inward from a pressure area is supplied with liquid at a pressure somewhat greater than the pressure prevailing in that area. Each vane slot arranged inward from a bridge is supplied with liquid at a pressure which is somewhat less than the pressure prevailing in the high pressure area for the reason that a vane in contact with a bridge has only a portion of its outer face subjected to the high pressure.

This system of moving vanes outward and holding them in contact with the vane track is successful but it has the disadvantage of requiring three different pressures. Another disadvantage is the necessity of providing a number of fluid channels the provision of-.which increases the overall dimensions of the machine.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by hydrostatically balancing each vane and exerting a predetermined outward force thereon. 'Ihe vanes are hydrostatically balanced by providing them with radially inward faces equal in area to the radially outward faces and subjecting opposed faces to the same pressure.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the outer portion of each vane I is considerably thicker than the body portion thereof, the excess thickness constituting an extension 2| which is arranged upon one side only of the body portion of the vane and provides a radially inward pressure face 22. The radially outward face of each vane I0 is so shaped that, when the vane is in contact with a bridge, its line of contact 23 is in alignment with the side of the vane body upon which the extension 2| is arranged. Each vane slot 9 is widened at its outer end to provide a recess 24 which is large enough to receive extension 2| and to permit ow of liquid thereto and therefrom as vane El moves outward and inward. The inner portion of each vane slot 9 communicates with a plurality of holes 25 which extend therefrom to the periphery of rotor I at the side of the vane opposite extension 2|.

'I'he arrangement is such that, when a vane is in contact with a bridge, the radially outward tace of extension 2| is subjected to the pressure prevailing at one side of the vane but the effective urea ci' that face is substantially the same as the area of pressure face 22 which is subjected to the same pressure. and the radially outward face o1' the vane body is subjected to the pressure prevailing at the other side of the vane but the effective area o! that face is substantially the same as the area of the inner face of the vane body which is subjected through holes 25 to the same pressure.v

When the outer face of a vane is in contact with a track section I3, its line of contact will not be in alinement with the side of the body portion but at that time the same pressure prevails at both sides of the vane so that pressure face 22 and the inner face of the vane body are subjected to the same pressure that acts upon the outer face of the vane. The varies' are thus hydrostatically balanced at all times.

Vane slots 9 and vanes l0 are so located in rotor that each vane is diametrically opposite another vane and, since the machine has an odd number of working sections, each track section |3 is diametrically opposite another track section I3 and opposed track sections are opposite hand to each other so that a vane riding upon a track section from a sealing bridge to a working bridge I2 moves radially outward at substantially the same rate that the opposite vane is moved inward as lt rides upon the opposite track section from a working bridge to a sealing bridge.

'I'he radially inward movement of each vane is utilized for eiecting positive outward movement of the opposite vane. This is accomplished by providing a plurality of vane operating means two or more of which engage each of two opposed varies at spaced apart points and hold the vanes against the vane track with a predetermined force.

As shown, rotor I has formed therein a plurality of radial holes 30 each of which communicates with the inner portion of a vane slot 9 and is in alinement with another hole 3|) which communicates with the opposite vane slot 9.

Each of the vane operating means includes two rods 3| and 32 which are iltted in two alined holes 30 and have their outer ends in engagement with the inner faces of the vanes I0 in the vane slots 3 with which those two holes 30 communicate. Rods 3|' and 32 are as closely iltted for sliding movement in holes 30 as is commercially practical so as to prevent any appreciable amount of liquid from ilowing through a hole 30 during the time the vane slot with which that hole communicates is supplied with high pressure liquid.

The inner ends of rods 3| and 32 engage opposite ends of two shouldered abutments 33 which have a spring 34 arranged betweenthe shoulders thereof to urge them apart and thereby cause rods 3| and 32 to urge the vanes against the vane track with a force determined by the strength of spring 34, the clearance between adjacent ends of abutments 33 being only a few thousandths of an inch when the outward moving vane and the inward moving vane are both in contact with the vane track.

The arrangement is such that. a vane being moved inward as it passes from a working bridge |2 to a sealing bridge |I transmits motion through rods 3| and 32 and spring 34 to the opposite vane and moves it outward as it passes from a sealing bridge to a working bridge. If the vane to be moved outward should stick in its slot, abutments 33 would come together and enable the inward moving vane to break the sticking vane loose and positively move it outward. After the vane was broken loose, spring 34 would urge it against the vane track.

At least two vane actuating means are preterably provided for each pair of diametrically opposed varies and, if a vane is quite long relative to its radial width so that there is danger of the vane deilecting, more vane actuating means should be employed. In the machine shown, the vane actuating means in contact with each vane are spaced apart about one-fourth the length of the vane.

In order that the vane actuating means may be readily assembled with the machine, abutments 33 and springs 34 may be arranged within an elongated plug 35 which is iltted in an axial bore 35 extending into rotor I from the end thereof opposite shaft, 3.

As shown, each spring 34 and the two abutments 33 associated therewith are arranged within a recess 31 which extends radially into plug 35 from the periphery thereof and communicates with a hole 33 which extends radially into plug 35 from the opposite side thereof and is concentric with recess 31. Abutments 33 and spring 34 may be initially retained in recess 31 by means of a spring washer 33 having a snap fit in the ends of recess 31.

The arrangement is such that a pair of abutments 33 and a spring 34 may be assembled in each recess 31 and retained therein by a spring washer 33. Then plug 35 may be inserted in bore 33 and secured in the proper position as by providing its outer end with a flange and bolting the ilange to the end of rotor I. Rods 3I and 32 may then be inserted into holes before vanes I0 are inserted into slots 3.

In order to dispose of leakage liquid, plug may have formed therein an axial drain passage 4I which communicates with all of the recesses 31 and holes 33 and opens into end head 5 from which the leakage liquid may be conducted through a channel 4| to a reservoir not shown. An axial passage 42 may be extended into rotor I from bore 33 and a radial passage 43 may extend from passage 42 to that part of the periphery of shaft 3 within end head 4 so that liquid leaking into end head 4 may escape through passages 43 and 42 into drain passage 43.

In the prior machines in common use, the rotor rotates between stationary cheek vplates which are rigidly clamped against opposite ends of the vane track and form with the vane track a chamber in which the rotor is entirely enclosed. The axial length of the vane track is just enough greater than that of the rotor to provide between each end of the rotor and the adjacent cheek plate a running clearance which is filled with a lubricating lm of the motive liquid. The iilms at the ends of the rotor must be continuously sheared as the rotor rotates and the force required to shear the illms reduces the eiliciency of the machine. Such a construction has heretofore been satisfactory for the reason that the prior machines have small diameter rotors sothat the force required to shear the lms is small but if a large diameter rotor were employed a large force would be required to shear the films at the ends of the rotor.

The present invention provides a construction which enables the machine to have a large diameter rotor without requiring a correspondingly large force to shear the lms at the ends of the rotor. This is accomplished by reducing the areas of the lms relatively to the diameter of the rotor.

As shown. the end portions of rotor I extending -beyond vane track 2 are reduced in diameter to provide two shoulders 44 and 45, and an annular cheek plate 43 is rigidly secured in close contact with each shoulder as bymeans of bolts extending through the cheek plate and into the body portion of rotor I, bearings. 3 and 1 being mounted upon the reduced portions of rotor I outward from the cheek plates. The radially outward portions oi cheekplates 43 overlap the ends of vane track 2 and close the ends of the space between the periphery o! rotor I and the inner periphery of vane track 2.

The distance between shoulders 44 and 45 is slightly greater than the axial length of vane track 2 in order to provide a running clearance between each cheek plate and the adjacent end of the vane track but these clearances are so slight that they cannot be shown in the drawing.

When the machine is working, the motive liquid becomes heated and heat is transmitted to the machine paris and causes them to expand. Since vane track 2 has a 'greater surface area in contact with the liquid than rotor I, it will expand faster than rotor I. In order to prevent expansion of vane track 2 from causing metal to metal contact between cheek plates 43 and the ends of vane track 2, a thrust bearing 41 is inserted into each cheek plate and adapted to have its inner face engage the ends of vane track 2.

The arrangement is such that the areas of the lms between rotating and stationary parts at the ends of the rotor are very small relatively to the diameter of the rotor and the force required to shear the lms is correspondingly small.

Figs. 5-7

Instead of employing a coil spring and two opposed abutments for transmitting motion from one to the other of two push rods which are arranged in alinement diametrically opposite each other with the outer ends thereof in engagement with diametrically opposed vanes as shown in Fig. 3, motion may be transmitted from one to the other of two opposed push rods through an annular or other shaped hat spring and an abutment arranged inside the spring in which case plug 33 is omitted, the spring and abutment are arranged within the bore 33 of rotor I and the push rods are all the same length.

As shown, each vane operating means includes two alined rods 3|, which correspond to rods 3| and 32 (Figs. 13)` and have the outer ends thereof in contact with diametrically opposed vanes and the inner ends thereof extending into bore 33 of rotor I, an annular ilat spring 52 arranged within bore 33 and between the inner ends of the two rods 5I to urge them outward and thereby cause them to urge the vanes in contact therewith against the vane track with a predetermined force, and an annular abutment 53 arranged within spring 32 and having such a diameter that its outer periphery is spaced a few thousandths of an inch from the inner periphery oi'. spring 52 when both of those vanes are in contact with the vane track. This vane operating means functions in the same manner as the vane operating means previously described.

Each spring 32 and the abutment 53 associated therewith are retained in the proper position by a separator 34 having a thin web extending across bore 33 and two thickened portions arranged at opposite ends of the web to engage the adjacent separator 54 or other adjacent surface. Spring a distance somewhat greater than the outside diameter of spring 52 and extend from the web a distance somewhat greater ,than the width of spring 52 and the thickness of abutment 53. Each separator 54 thus prevents spring 52 and abutment 53 from moving a substantial distance either axially or at right angles to the axes of the push rods in engagement with spring 52.

Each separator 54 should be rotated relative to the adjacent separator through an angular distance equal to the angular distance between adjacent vanes. 4The separators may be retained in the proper angular positions by keys inserted in the separators and in the wall of bore 35. It is also desirable that the keys and keyways be' so located that any separator may be located in any one of the proper positions.

This may be accomplished by having the angular distance between the keyways in the separators the same as the angular distance between shown may have three keyways 55, 55 and 51 formed 20 apart in one end of each oi' its separators 54 and three keys 58, 58 and 58 spaced 60 apart in the wall of bore 35 and extending substantially the entire length thereof.

One separator 54 may have key 58 inserted in keyway 55 as shown in lig.v 5, the next separator may have key 58 inserted in keyway 51, the next separator may have key 59 inserted in keyway 55, the next separator may have key 55 inserted in keyway 55, the next separator may have key 55 inserted in keyway 51, the next separator may have key 50 inserted in keyway 55, the next separator may have key 58 inserted in keyway 55. the next separator may have key 58 inserted in keyway 51, the next separator may have key 58 inserted in keyway 58, and the other separators may be located in the same manner. In each position of a separator 54, the inner faces of its thickened portions are parallel to the axes of the two push rods which engage the spring 5I arranged between its thickened portions.

the keys may be placed in the keyways in the wall of bore 35 and the parts inserted separately into bore 35 and properly located by arranging the proper keyway in each separator upon the proper key. In either case, separators 54 are securely fastened in bore 35. As shown, the entire assembly is clamped in bore 85 by a bolt 53 which extends axially through the assembly and is threaded into the end wall of bore 35.

The hydrodynamic machine described herein is susceptible of various other modications without departing from the scope of the invention which is hereby claimed as follows. v

I claim:

l. In a hydrodynamic machine, the combination of an annular vane track, a rotor arranged within said track, a plurality of approximately radial vanes slidably fitted in said rotor with each vane dlametrically opposed to another vane and adapted to engage said track, said vane track including a sealing bridge arranged close tothe periphery of said roto'r and a working bridge diametrically opposed to said sealing bridge and spaced from the periphery of said rotor so that each vane is moved inward as it passes from the l0 working bridge to the sealing bridge duringirotation of said rotor, a plurality of approximately radial rods slidably tted in said rotor, .each two of said rods being arranged opposite each other with the outer ends thereof in engagement with opposite vanes and the inner ends thereof approximately in alinement with each other, an abutment arranged between the inner ends of each two opposed rods, and a spring' extending around said abutment and engaging said rods to urge the same outward and thereby urge said vanes against said track.

2. In a hydrodynamic machine, the combination of an annular vane track, a rotor arranged within said track and provided with an axial bore, a plurality of approximately radial vanes slidably fitted in said rotor with each vane diametrically opposed to another vane and adapted to engage said track, said vane track including afsealing bridge arranged close to the periphery of said rotor and a working bridge diametrically opposed to said sealing Abridge and spaced from the periphery of said rotor so that each vane is moved inward as it passes from the working bridge to the sealing bridge during rotation of said rotor, a plurality of approximately radial rods slidably fitted in said rotor, each two of said rods being arranged opposite each other with the outer ends thereof in engagement with opposite vanes and the inner ends thereof approximately in alinement with each other, rod actuating means arranged between the inner ends of each two opposed rods for transmitting motion from one to the other, and means for assembling a plurality of said rod actuating means into a single unit for insertion into said bore.

3. In a hydrodynamic machine, the combination of an annular vane track, a rotor arranged within said track and provided with an axial bore, a plurality of approximately radial vanes slidably` fitted in said rotor with each vane diametrically opposed to another vane and adapted to engage said track, said vane track including a sealing bridge arranged close to the periphery of said rotor and a working bridge diametrically opposed to said sealing bridge and spaced from the periphery of said rotor so that each vane is moved inward as it passes from the working bridge to the sealing bridge during rotation of said rotor, an elongated plug arranged in said bore, a plurality of approximately radial rods slidably tted in said rotor and extending into said plug, each two of said rods being arranged opposite each other with the outer ends thereof in engagement with opposite vanes and the inner ends thereof approximately in alinement with each other, spring means arranged between the adjacent ends of opposed rods for urging the rods outward to thereby urge the vanes against said vane track and enable an inward moving vane to move the opposite vane outward, and abutment means arranged between adjacent ends of opposed rods for causing an inward moving vane to positively move the opposite vane outward in case the resistance of said opposite vane is greater than the resistance of said spring means, said spring means and said abutment means being arranged within said plug so that they may be assembled therewith before said plug is inserted into said bore.

4. In a hydrodynamic machine, the combination of an annular vane track, a rotor arranged within said track and provided with an axial bore, a plurality of approximately radial vanes slidably itted in said rotor with each vane diametrically opposed to another vane and adapted to engage said track, said vane track including a sealing bridge arranged close to the periphery of said rotor and a working bridge diametrically opposed to said sealing bridge and. spaced from the periphery of said rotor so that each vane ismoved inward as it passes from the working bridge to the sealing bridge during rotation of said rotor, a plurality of approximately radial rods slidably fitted in said rotor, each two of said rods being arranged opposite each other with the outer ends thereof in engagement with opposite vanes and the inner ends thereof approximately in alinement withreach other, an abutment arranged Within said bore and between the inner ends of each two opposed rods, a spring extending around said abutment within said bore and engaging said rods to urge the same outward and thereby urge said vanes against said track, means for axially spacing said abutments and springs to permit free radial movements thereof, means for locating said spacing means in the correct angular positions, and means for fastening said spacing means in said bore.

5. In a hydrodynamic machine, the combination of a rotor, an annular vane track extending around said rotor and providing a space between its inner periphery and the outer periphery of said rotor, two cheek plates xed to opposite ends of said rotor and overlapping the ends of said vane track to close the ends of said space, and an annular antifriction bearing vsaid cheek plate and said vane JAMES K. DOUGLAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in time le oi this patent:

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